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Six Musicians You Didn't Know Were Cuban!

Ace trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra are in Cuba this week to perform with island musicians in an unprecendented concert, and it got us thinking about the many talented musicians the country has produced. Here, we pay homage to those extraordinary artists and many more, who despite being born elsewhere, have a passion for Cuban music that courses through their veins. Meet a few salseras, rockeros, raperos and pop estrellas you might not know are of Cuban descent.

1.
Cubans: La Lupe

La Lupe

The 70s bolero, guaracha and Latin soul icon spent so much time in New York and Puerto Rico after leaving Cuba that it’s no wonder many people still think she was boricua. Not so, though she loved that island as well: Guadalupe Victoria Yoli Raymond was born in Santiago, Cuba. We hear boricua Dexter actess, Lauren Velez might be playing Lupe in a movie! How cool is that?

2.
Cubans: Mellow Man Ace, Sen Dog, B-Real

Mellow Man Ace, Sen Dog and B-Real

The West Coast rap pioneers, original members of Cypress Hill, were born in Cuba (as Ulpiano Sergio Reyes and Senen Reyes, respectively) and left the island when they hit a visa lottery, eventually settling in Southern Cali. While Sen Dog remained with Cypress Hill, along with Cuban-Mexican B-Real (Louis Freese), Mellow Man went on to a solo career that included an album called Escape from Havana.

4.
Cubans: Tico Torres

5.
Cubans: Carlos Ponce

Carlos Ponce

He was born in Santurce, a Puerto Rican city known for its famous natives (like actor Benicio del Toro and New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada), but the pop balladeer's parents fled Cuba after Castro took over.